Arsenal to hold talks over La Liga transfer raid in coming days as Arteta approves deal.

Arsenal are reportedly set to hold talks over a potential transfer deal for Barcelona attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho in the coming days.

The Gunners are seemingly stepping up their interest as Mikel Arteta is said to have given the green light for club chiefs to negotiate this signing, according to Todo Fichajes.

Coutinho has struggled in his time at Barcelona, but previously shone as one of the finest players in the world during his days as a Liverpool player, so it could be that a return to England would help him revive his career.

It seems Everton also had an interest in the Brazil international, but have now cooled their interest, putting Arsenal in pole position, according to Todo Fichajes.

This seems a risky signing for Arteta and co. to pursue, with Coutinho’s best days surely long gone now, and with similar signings like this not bearing fruit at the Emirates Stadium.

David Luiz and Willian are recent signings to join Arsenal after becoming available when it was clear they were past their peaks, and Coutinho would surely be another who’d ultimately end up being a disappointment in north London.

Still, AFC could probably benefit from more options in attack, with doubts over Nicolas Pepe’s form in particular.

If Coutinho could show even a small improvement at Arsenal then he’d likely be an upgrade on Pepe and give the team another useful option in attack.